at home with Sarah Beeny - August 2012 - (Page 99)

| PACKING UP| Stow it hen you sell your home and buy another, you usually move in on the same day, taking your furniture and belongings with you. However, you may be leaving your old home and moving into your new one a week or even a month later. This can happen for various reasons. Perhaps you’re in a chain and have to complete your purchase before your seller is able to complete. The same applies if you’re moving from one rental property to another. W away DON’T PANIC IF THE DATE YOU MOVE OUT OF YOUR OLD HOME AND INTO YOUR NEW ONE DOESN’T COINCIDE. JUST THINK SELF STORAGE { { Get rid of ﬂammable items, ﬁreworks, acids, paints and petrol. For health and safety reasons, you may not be allowed to store them WHAT NOT TO SHIFT… Find a temporary home WORDS: Puneet Chahal | PHOTOGRAPH: Getty Images In such situations, you should ﬁrst of all work out where you will stay in the interim. You may be lucky to have relatives who’ll put you up on a temporary basis – but this will almost certainly depend on the length of time you need to be there. Your parents may be happy to have you, your partner and three teenage kids camp with them for a week, but three months could be a different story. A hotel or B&B are options if you don’t have anywhere else to stay, but do your research as far in advance as possible because the closer you get to your moving date, the higher rates are going to be. If you need accommodation for several months, consider renting a property on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST). Find a storage solution You may be tempted to squish all your items into friends’ garages or sheds but be aware that if the structure is damp, has a leaky roof or is open to invasion by pests such as rats, you could ﬁnd that your belongings are damaged by the time you reclaim them. The best solution is to ﬁnd a self-storage company that will enable you to stow your items away in a ‘container’, which is like an empty room. The space will be dry and secure and you are usually provided with a key so you can have access, 24 hours a day. There is usually a range of sizes, too, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. You can either pre-pay for longer periods (say, six or 12 months at a time) or pay on a monthly basis if you don’t know exactly how long you need to rent the container. Many storage companies have special offers so look out for these. They can also help you with cardboard boxes, cartons, bubble wrap, vacuum space-saving bags and tape to pack up all your items without breaking them. You need to be especially careful when it comes to transporting delicate and/or expensive items. If you have valuables, it makes sense to insure them against breakage or theft for a small fee. Consider storage… 1. If you’re selling your home and have to vacate before you can move into your new property. 2. If you’re decorating or renovating and need a place to store belongings. 3. If you’re a trader and need a place to store items you sell. 4. If you’re moving abroad and need to store furniture until you can ship it. 5. If you’re o travelling so need storage facilities. 6. If you’re a student and need storage over the summer hols. ‘SELF-STORAGE WAS THE IDEAL SOLUTION FOR MY MOVING PROBLEMS’ A storage facility came to the rescue of Sunny Singh, 33, from Middlesex ‘My family and I wanted to move but decided to rent in the area rst, just to make sure. We found a property we liked and got tenants for our own house, but they needed to move in immediately while the house we wanted to rent wasn’t available for a month. ‘Fortunately, my parents said we could stay with them for four weeks, but we didn’t know what to do with our furniture. Luckily, a friend recommended a local storage place. We booked a container and were given a padlock and key so we could access our belongings at any time. ‘I was happy knowing that our stu was safe but wish I hadn’t scrimped on the packaging. I broke my plasma TV during the move but didn’t have insurance, so I’d recommend insuring all valuables before you begin shifting.’ ■ www.athomemagazine.co.uk AUGUST 2012 | 099 http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of at home with Sarah Beeny - August 2012

EDITOR’S LETTER
WELCOME FROM SARAH
NEWS
AWESOME AUGUST
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
TABLE TALK
THE THRIFTY FIFTY
TRENDS ON TRIAL
BEENY UNCUT
ESSENTIAL HOME-BUYING GUIDE
SURVEY SAVVY
WHAT’S THE SCORE?
THE NEW FACE OF PROPERTY?
SELLER SECRETS
LOCATION LOCK-UP
SOAP AND GLORY
OPEN UP
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
TOP SHOP
THE BRIGHT STUFF
GET THE JUNGLE LOOK
WARDROBE WARS
A ONE OFF
MOSAIC MAGIC
GLASS ACT
TAKE TO THE FLOOR
FRAME GAME
IT’S A BLINDER
SNUG AS A BUG
BURNING QUESTION
THE A-TEAM
QUICK FIX
BEAT THE BUILDING BLUES
LET THERE BE LIGHT
GOING DOWN
GARDEN GREATS
DIRTY DEALINGS
ALIEN INVASION
JUMP RIGHT IN
LITTLE WONDER
OUT OF SIGHT
PROFESSOR GREEN
ECO EXCLUSIVE
TALKING TRASH
PRO PLANET PROJECTS
HELLO, SUNSHINE
CARBON-NEUTRAL COVER
STAR GLAZER
EARTH HOUR
HOT TOPIC
MASS REDUCTION
WASTE NOT
SWITCHED ON
ETHICAL INTERIORS
YOU LIVE WHERE?
COMING SOON
WINNING SPOT
LUXE LINEN
CATCH-UP
STOCKISTS

at home with Sarah Beeny - August 2012